KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
|
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
For much of the country, it's been the hardest winter in recent memory: cold, monochrome, relentless. The kind of season that reminds us how little control we really have. We do our best to manage routines and moods and expectations, but parents feel it most. February stretches long and flat after the excitement of the holidays, before the lift of spring. You're still packing
lunches, wrangling homework, managing emotions (your kids’ and your own)... all while the cold keeps the family cooped up. This is the season of endurance. Of course, endurance isn’t about being stoic or silent or superhuman; it’s about continuing, even when things are hard. It’s about showing up for your people, your plans, and yourself, day after chilly day. And it’s about knowing that if you’re feeling the drag right now, you’re not alone. Many of us are moving through it
together. Even for those who don't live in Nature's Refrigerator,* February can still bring its own version of stuckness: that long stretch between holidays, where kids are restless and routines feel stale. Sometimes, by February, our gray matter feels just as gray as the weather. When that happens, help is allowed! Check out our article and outsource the brainstorming to KidsOutAndAbout: Stuck Inside This Winter? 20 Creative Indoor Activities for Kids is packed with creative, practical, low-effort ways to keep your family engaged (and sane) when outside play isn’t an option. And it shows you how to tap your favorite AI to be your thought partner to personalize it for your
family. February Gray doesn’t need to be conquered; it just needs to be lightened a bit. So whether you're "out and about" or "in and not at all about," we're here to brighten the rest of your winter!
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect: How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build
Strong Communities
*Rochester, NY ☺️ |
|
|
KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
|
|
|
Experience the beauty and solitude of the lower Connecticut River during this wonderful time of year! It is so different than it is any other time of the year. There are no other vessels on the water, and with no leaves on the trees, our wildlife viewing is
easy and fun. RiverQuest has a heated cabin, but we suggest that you dress in warm layers since the best views will be from the open decks. Don’t forget your camera and binoculars! …No binoculars? No worries, we have plenty on board for you to borrow! We will also provide complimentary coffee and tea.
|
|
|
|
Turn February Winter Break into a hands-on adventure at the Connecticut Science Center. Slide across the Sock Skating Rink, explore more than 165 interactive exhibits, and enjoy giant-screen movies and engaging LIVE science demonstrations. Escape to
Connecticut’s only year-round tropical Butterfly Encounter, experience the mind-bending Forest of Illusions for a limited time, and make your Winter Break days full of curiosity, discovery, and fun. With hands-on exhibits, interactive experiences, and plenty of opportunities to explore together, there’s something to spark curiosity in every member of the family. Whether you’re visiting for a single day or coming back again and again, February Winter Break is the perfect time to experiment,
discover, and play together.
|
|
|
|
Join us as we celebrate Valentine’s Day with our wonderful animals. Make special Valentines for our animals & loved ones. Crafts and special visits with the animals throughout the day. Drop in anytime during open hours. Donations for the animals from
our wishlist are greatly appreciated!
|
|
|
|
February is Maple Sugaring Time at the Dudley Farm Museum! Every February, weather permitting, volunteers at the Dudley Farm make their way to the maple sugaring house in the woods behind the new Quinnipiac Dawnland Museum and Munger Barn. There, the
century old “cooker” is fired up, maple sap collected, and the slow process of turning gallons of maple sap into maple syrup is done the way the Dudley family did it for over 100 years. We welcome visitors to join us to learn more about how syrup was made 100 years ago. You can even help out if you’d like. Warm yourself by a wood fire, listen to a few tall tales and watch the watery sap slowly turn into liquid gold.
|
|
|
|
It all begins when the temperature rises above freezing during the day and falls below freezing at night. These conditions trigger the sap to begin to flow up the tree. A healthy tree can produce a gallon of sap a day on a good day. It takes 40 gallons to
make 1 gallon of syrup. No experience is needed for tapping and all ages are welcome to come and help out. Tree tapping day is all outdoors and very weather dependent. Those interested in taking part in tapping day should watch for further announcements on Flanders’ website and Facebook page.
|
|
|
|
Celebrate love, friendship, and kindness with a day of heartwarming fun! Join a special tour, design a friendship bracelet, and create a mixed-media valentine for someone special. Grab a complimentary bag of popcorn and stay for a free screening of The Wild
Robot at 2pm.
|
|
|
|
Our Saturday afternoon series — made famous by conductor, composer, and educator Leonard Bernstein — inspires a lifelong love of music through multimedia, interactive performances of music ranging from timeless classics to World Premieres. This season, we
explore through music how pioneering ideas and events from the past can help us understand our world today. Pre-Concert activities where kids can try out instruments, meet musicians, and craft with teaching artists and their fellow attendees begin at 1:00 PM for each concert. These concerts are perfect for kids ages 6-12.
|
|
|
- Family Programs - Yale Peabody Museum - Yale Peabody Museum, 170 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, Saturday, 02/14/2026 to Sunday, 02/15/2026, See website for specific program times
- Little
Red Barn Live Music - Bishop's Orchards - Bishop's Orchards, 1355 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT, Friday, 02/13/2026 to Saturday, 02/14/2026, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
- Eco Art Upcycle Valentine's Crafts - Ansonia Nature Center - Ansonia Nature & Recreation Center, 10 Deerfield Lane, Ansonia, CT, Saturday, 02/14/2026, 1 pm - 2 pm
- Kids Valentine's Day Party - Lyman Orchards - Lyman Orchards, 32 Reeds Gap Road, Middlefield, CT, Saturday, 02/14/2026, 10 AM - 4 PM
- Second Saturdays for
Families: Hearts and Arts - Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art - Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main Street, Hartford, CT, Saturday, 02/14/2026, ACTIVITIES 10AM–2PM | FREE ADMISSION ALL DAY
- Maple Tapping Day - Flanders - Flanders Nature Center & Land Trust, 5 Church Hill Road, Woodbury, CT, Saturday,
02/14/2026, 9:30 am and 11 am
|
|
|
|
Parents have an abundance of choices when it comes to PreK and day care options in the Hartford area! Use our Big List to help find the best one for your kiddos and check our events calendar to find Open Houses where you can meet teachers and tour the
schools.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Winter is here and fun options for families just keep getting better! Whether you stick with what you love or decide to try something new, KidsOutAndAbout has plenty of ideas. From Ice skating, kid-friendly museums, indoor play centers, and outdoor
activities to thinking ahead to next year's school options - we've got you covered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Looking for a thrilling family-friendly adventure in the Hartford area? Escape rooms are interactive, puzzle-packed experiences where you and your team work together to solve clues and complete your mission-all before time runs out! Whether you're escaping
a spooky cabin, cracking a high-stakes heist, or breaking a magical curse, escape rooms offer exciting, screen-free fun for kids, teens, and adults.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click here to discover Birthday party locations in the Hartford area. From Arcades to Ziplines our Big List will help you think outside the box and plan the party of your kids' dreams! KidsOutAndAbout has dozens of ideas!
|
|
|
|
|
|
2025's Top 20 Places to Take Hartford Kids, as voted by KidsOutAndAbout.com readers! Our Top 20 results page includes a list of your top picks, including winners in special categories like Favorite Arts Educator, Favorite Sports Educator, and Favorite STEM
Educator!
|
|
|
Wishing you and your family health and happiness!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
|
|
